HoM Lesson III.
 

The usual dusty and warm History classroom was not looking like its usual self today. Lainey had replaced each of the desks with large, house colored, surfboards. Each board had a towel draped over it.

Lainey was dressed in a modest one-piece bathing suit, blue with silver polka dots. She opened her door and waited for her class to arrive. They had some business to attend for this lesson.

Marco eyed the weirdness of the classroom. He hadn't even seen the Professor yet. "What is going on in here?" he asked, completely shocked at the fact that he had seen Lainey...in a swimming costume.

James walked in, still soaked to the bone, and saw surfboards. "Oh no...." he groaned. This just HAD to happen the day he was thoroughly soaked and wanted nothing more then to be dry! Oi gavolt...he thought sitting down. "Hello Proffesor" he said glumly.

Christian strolled into the classroom, his eyebrow immediately raising at the sight of surfboards in the room. The eyebrow in question was in danger of disappearing into his spikey hair as his eyes caught sight of the professor in a swimsuit. "Nope," he said softly, "Don't want to know..."

He smiled in Lainey's direction, saying a happy "hello!", before turning away to observe a nearby blue surfboard.

Emily walked into the classroom, shivering at how bloomin cold it was. She raised her eyebrows when she saw the professor... dressed in very little. This confirmed Emily’s suspicions once and for all. Professor Lainey was, indeed, insane. ...And also immune from the cold, it seemed.

As she looked around the classroom and her eyebrows went even further up her forehead. What on earth were these colourful board thingymagigs? Muggle ironing boards? They were going to be doing housework - muggle housework - just brilliant. This was work for house elfs, NOT students.

Cassandra walked in, fully expecting to see Lainey in something odd... she wasn't dissapointed. "Morning Professor," she said smiling, "I take it we're taking class somewhere else today?"

James noticed Emily's surprise. He knew what these death boards were. "They're surf boards Emily, you put them on water and ride on them. I call them death boards." he said, with a voice that gave the impression that he called them death boards for a reason.

Cassandra hear the boy talking to Emily. "Death boards? You ride them? Like... brooms?" She asked... Death and Riding... two of her least favorite things... why didn't she just skip class today?

"Technically they're called surf boards, but I've had bad memory's about them..." James said, shivering at the thought.

Lainey was all smiles as her class filed in. "We're going to try to find something out today, Ray. I'm taking you all out with me because I think it will be beneficial for you all to hear. So, right you are Cassandra, we're not staying here for long."


Lainey cleared her throat for everyone's attention. "Can you all swim? If not, I have some floaties..."

“Smurf boards?” Emily raised an eyebrow at James. She had learnt not to listen to everything this boy said… he was also mental. “What!?” Her eyes grew wide. There was no way in hell, Emily was going in or near water with one of those things. “W-why do you call them d-death boards?” she asked the strange Ravenclaw. "On second thought, don't answer that." she told him, raising her hand dismissively. She really did not want to know. She looked back at the half naked professor, waiting for the lesson to begin... she would find out soon enough.

Emily nodded hesitantly. Yes, she could swim. Whether she wanted to was a different matter.

"Yes professor, I can swim..." very well actually.

Christian smirked slightly and nodded his head lightly to signify that he could swim. His eyes turned back to the surfboard, smiling as he remembered the surfers he had seen on a trip to Hawaii. He had always wanted to ride one of these things.

"Well, none of you can swim in robes. And, I'm kidding myself to think it's warm enough for this suit." Lainey sighed. It was such a cute suit, too. "If you all don't mind, I'll change your robes into wetsuits."


She didn't wait for consent, though. She went right ahead and waved her wand. Her class went from a normal day at Hogwarts, to surfing 101 in a hurry.


"Well... alright. Everyone grab a board! Everyone have one? It's kind of like a really wide broom, so if you can fly, you can use the board to at least get out in the lake."

Things were happening so fast... she was in a green and silver wetsuit and it clung to her body. She tried pulling at it but it snapped back. "Ow!" She grumbled. She went to get a board but as she grabbed it, she heard the professor say the dreaded 3 letter word... "F... Fly? We... can walk, can't we?" PLEASE?....

Christian smirked as his robes turned into a wetsuit. Wow, these things looked cool! And there were comfortable too. Bonuss.

He grabbed the blue surfboard he had been observing earlier and held it carefully. Oh yeah, he was ready to hang ten. He couldn't help but chuckle though, this all seemed soo...odd.

He smiled comfortingly at Cassandra. "Surfboards can't fly, Trelawney. They ride on top of the water, no levitating."

Hum. This had to be the oddest HoM lesson so far and that was saying something. And, it had only just started! She looked down at herself… this tight suit thingy was ...ick!. And she would no doubt still be cold – Ems always was.

Naturally, Emily picked a green and silver board. She couldn’t fly… so it looked like she would be going on foot.

She looked over at Cassandra, relieved that she was not the only one worried about having to fly.

Cassandra turned and looked at Christian in his swimsuit... boy... Quidditch had been good for him... "Yeah..." She quickly turned around and blushed.

Punz watched, amused, as her billowy robes changed into a black-and-yellow wet suit. Although she wasn't the best swimmer in the world, Rapunzel could at least float and doggy paddle. And plus, she was curious to see what the muggle board things could do.

"Professor, do you have any of those swim-cap-thing-a-ma-bobs?" she asked, curling a lock of blonde hair around her finger. "Will our heads be getting wet too?"

Xana's school clothes were transfigured into a skintight wetsuit, black with green and silver stripes down the side. She was excited... It'd been too long since she'd surfed... She ran her hands through her red curls, binding them back in a loose ponytail. She watched with amusement at the way Trelawney sputtered over the concept of flight as she went up and selected a green shortboard.

"Duuuuude..." she drawled, grinning, to Professor Lainey. "This class is going to be like, so totally awesome."

Dia blinked slightly as her school uniform was transfigured into a silver, green, and black wetsuit. She groaned inwardly. Nooo.... Shaking her head, she reluctantly walked over to get a surfboard. What was the point of this lesson? As far as she knew, wizards usually didn't surf...

Marco looked down as his robes were turned into a wetsuit. He adjusted himself. It felt odd. The rubbery stuff against his naked skin. Why hadn't he worn more layers.

"I certainly hope not... I wouldn't suggest falling off your board. From what I understand, the lake is quite deep."



"Totally, Xana," Lainey smiled. "If you're all ready, and no one needs floaties... we'll go on out. You can balance your surfboards on your heads. Be careful though! Follow me!"

And Lainey lead the parade down the halls and to the lake.

OOC: Class will continue HERE.

Heather looked at her wet suit and smiled. She grabbed a bored which she thought was really cool. She was ready to go.

James looked at his swimsuit. Uh oh...

Lainey was still dripping when she arrived back in her class. She started a fire in the fireplace and went to sit in front of it.


"Alright class. Homework time - Help me locate the potion that contains.. something.. to do with clams and animal transformations...!"

Christian draped the towel that had been provided over his head, making him look like he had a hood of some sort. He crouched down by the fireplace in an attempt to get warm again, thinking hard about what kind of potion would involve clams and animal transformations...His eyes focused on the flickering of the flame in the fireplace...

Clams clams clams! What the heck! As interesting as the lesson had been, Emily was pleased to be out of the water, back in the comforts of the classroom and free of that blasted smurf board. She sat by the fire, trying to get warm as the Professor explained the homework.

Rapunzel, still shivering, hurried into the classroom and tried to get close to the fire. She was still cuddling her clam, and suddenly had an idea.

She raised a cold, shriveled hand. "Professor, do you think maybe these clams have p-p-pearls in them? Could they be a c-clue?"

"No, class isn't over! We've got work to do! Someone go get Rae and Professor Branxton! Go, go!"

"Great! Good. Excellent. The rest of us... can get changed." Lainey waved her wands to restore her robes in place of the wet suit. When Rae and Doyle got there, she'd have the students tell them what Barty had told them, Doyle would know the potion, and they'd get started. At least, they had something going right.

"Bring those clams up! Put them on my desk."

Kayla changed back into her robes and was feeling a little excited that they were finally going to be able to reverse the effects on those poor students.

Rapunzel was relieved to be out of the wetsuit, but she was still chilly. And reluctant to let go of her clam. With a sigh, she trudged up to the professor's desk and set her clam down gently. The she retreated back to the fireplace and started drying her hair. Or wringing out the damp ends, at least, as thankfully, her whole head wasn't wet.

"Potion!" Lainey exclaimed to Rae. "Just went out to see Barty.. and he gave us these clams... and it's a potion! A potion will heal them!" It all made sense to Lainey. "We can brew it now.. we should.. and be ready in case any more change!"

Cassandra went to the front of the class and placed her Clam on the desk. She hated letting go of a present she got from Batholomew, but it was the right thing to do.

Even though Jason did not get a clamshell, he would like to help and really wants to help.

Christian returned to whistling his soft happy tune as he slipped past Rae and Branxton and went back over to the fireplace, where he sat down and watched the rest of the action in the room. No potions had come to light in his mind; maybe Rae and Branxton would have a better chance of thinking of one...

Cassandra turned to returned to her seat, but saw Christian by the fireplace... she never sat there... but she quietly walked walked by her usual seat and sat beside him quietly.

Christian turned his eyes away from the fire as he sensed someone sitting next to him. It was Cassandra; Christian gave her a nice, warm smile. "So, are you able to think of anything?" he whispered.

"I'll be doing some research for the homework, but I think I can try to adapt a few different potions..." She said a little embarrassed... she didn't really think he would notice her...

"And yourself?" she asked him.

"Hmmm, that sounds like a good plan," he nodded his head, stopping to chuckle at her question. "Hehe, I got nothing. Bleh," he shrugged. "I was never great at potions...I'd need some books to be able to find an answer. Other than that...I'm pretty much hopeless," he grinned apologetically.

"Arithmancy and Herbology... those are my worse subjects." she told him shaking her head. "Numbers and I... we're just not on the same plane of existence and with Herbology, I thank Merlin for professor Erikson... or else I would have been completely lost."

What was she doing?!?! Admitting to being bad at something? Not just one thing, but more?! And to a Ravenclaw! Stop talking Trelawney!

Heather smield as she felt the warmth of dry clothes. she walked up to the desk indicated for the clams and placed hers on it. She went and rested against the wall near the fire place listening for something she woul have to do.

Christian chuckled and added softly, "me too! Numbers make my head spin and sometimes I think the plants are out to get me," he frowned at the last thing he admitted. He wasn't quite sure if that was a good thing to say; might make Cassandra think he was weird or something...wait. Since when did he care whether or not someone thought he was weird!?

"But yeah," he went on quickly, "can't be too many potions out there that have allowance for clams..."

James was hopeless. He couldn't think of anything. He just sat there soaking wet like an idiot. But well, you could expect that from James.

She smirked... "Out to get you? I made a hybrid that would actually be out to get you. It's thriving rather well... it's my only real accomplishment in Herbology." She scratched her hand and looked at him. "Yeah there couldn't be many..."

What is Latiffa looking at... Cassandra thought. Maybe she likes Christian... she frowned.

Christian chuckled, "Remind me to never annoy you. I wouldn't want to be fed to this hybrid of yours...I'm glad that something has gone successfully for you! Even if it can come after me; Bravo!" He smirked and softly clapped, but not to loud as to avoid catching people's attention.

He caught Cora's gaze out of the corner of his eye, noting the look on her face. He looked at her for a couple seconds and gave her a smile, before turning his eyes back to the fire. "Too bad we couldn't get our hands on the candy that the other students ate...isn't the source of all these transformations? Lyra made me promise to not eat the candy from Hogsmeade...maybe if we got our hands on the candy, then we can find out exactly what is in them that causes the transformations. Then it should be easier to find the potion that uses these clams...maybe there's not even a potion. Perhaps these clams alone are the cure," he finished off in a shrug. He turned away from the fire, blinking a couple of times to get rid of the flickering flame image that was burned into his eyes.

James had it! Yeah right. Stop pretending. Then he just sat down bored again, not a single thought crossing his mind.

Cassandra's lunatic best friend was raving again. Doyle sighed and cleaned his glasses before stepping into the classroom after Cassandra. He really had hoped their work together last term would have made it easier to deal with the witch but, they were just as strained as before. "Perhaps it would be easier for us to assist you if you started at the beginning and were clear in your explanation of what you want from us," he suggested to the erratic History of Magic professor, in a calm, yet slightly condescending tone.

Yikes... Professor Branxton... well... he used to be the Potions Master. He is the perfect person to lead this potion. She wanted to assist him, but she was so very embarrassed still of what had happenned.

"Professor Lainey, I was reading a book the other night about potions. Are you going to use a bezore to help the students?", Jason asked. "I really want to help the students and I hope this helps you turn them back into students and not animals."

Lainey took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. It didn't help her over excitement, not even a little. "I went out to talk to Bartholomew Henry, the class and I. Just now." Lainey pointed at the puddles in her classroom, and the dozen or so surfboards. "We asked him about .. the disappearances... if he'd seen anything like this before .. and and and then he brought up these clams! He said to brew a potion! So, we've got to brew a potion! Tell us what to get and my class will help!" Lainey was jumping up and down by the time her story was through.

Doyle reached in his pocket to take out his handkerchief and then held his hand (with the handkerchief) out to Lainey for the clam. He rolled his eyes a bit at her use of the name Bartholomew Henry. Riddiculous name. "Did the squid," Doyle began, a much more appropriate name for the creature in the lake. "Say anything else? I can't think of a potion off the top of my head but, I think I know where I've seen references to clam substances. Have you opened them?"

Cora grinned at Cass Cass. Bahahahaaa.

Cora smiled back at Christian. Heheee, he obviously had no clue that she had figured those two secret loverrrs out. It was wonderfully sneaky and delicious. Her eyes flickered towards Cass Cass, and she wiggled her eyebrows at him.

Heh heh heh. Smooth, Latiffa, smooooth.

"He said," Lainey rolled her eyes, "to take it to the man that would know. I loathe to think it might be you." Doyle Branxton was stuck up, fun sucking, pansy. How on earth Rae.. ended up with him... Lainey would never truly know. Never.

"We only just got back, Doyle. I sent for you straight away. So, no, we haven't touched the clams." She hated that he didn't have the slightest bit of urgency to him.

In lots of ways, it made him suspicious.

"Perhaps you can work on getting one open while I retrieve the book I need," he suggested and then held up a finger. "Only one. In case there is something inside of import and it is disturbed by whatever method you find to open them. I suspect that could be part of the reason for so many to have been given."

"Cassandra? Rhiannon? Did you catch that? One of you come open up your clam. Carefully, though." Lainey turned back to Doyle to shoo him out. "Make copies of the ingredient list and my class will help you find everything."

"Excuse me, professors... " Xana said softly, blushing slightly as she approached them... She felt shy even offering up an idea on a matter so important as the potion to help the students, and especially to two such respected professors-- she had heard Professor Branxton been a potions master, too... Still, if it might help... it might be worth mentioning. "But I was thinking... Aren't pearls considered bivalve bezoar stones? Such as the Nine Pearls, the famed pearl bezoar gemstones documented in the Garuda Purana texts --the Vedic sanskrit texts of India-- were said to be? Not that the students have been exactly poisoned if it's a transfigurational potion, but as bezoars have such strong global antidotal and restorative properties, and are easily soluble in any acidic solution... Perhaps that's what Mr. Henry meant for us to use as a primary ingredient in an antidote... pearls-- perhaps pearls found inside these clams?"

"Yes'm," She said quickly retrieving her clam. She glared at the other girl, as she went to retrieve her clam. She brought it back to her desk... she needed to be delicate, gentle with opening the animal...

She looked over to Xana and wanted to growl... but she was in class and was given a task. She pulled out her wand and ran the tip on the lip on the clam. It wasn't working... finally she pulled her little silver knife she used for potions, and slipped it in the clam. "Forgive me little guy..." she said as she proceeded to pry it open.

"I got it professor!" she said raising her hand.

" Thank you Xana, you and I agree" Jason told her. " The Bezoar stones could be made into a potion and then we could make a spell so we could have it drift over the animals." This may be bizarre but it might work. " Jason expliained.

Xana listened, but felt skeptical-- while it made sense to her that bivalve bezoars -- pearls-- could possibly what the squid might be trying to share with them, the idea of floating a potion over the victims seemed ineffective at best. Was he serious? "Are you suggesting we try to create a topical potion, such as a tincture or salve, as opposed to an ingestible potion?" She raised an eyebrow.

"The students need to be located and brought to a safe location in order for us to try any type of restorative efforts anyway, so why not focus on an ingestible potion... especially since it seems to be the consensus that it was an ingested item in candy that is the likely cause of the initial transformation? I'm not saying your idea has no merit, I'm just wondering what your rationale is for that particular method of delivery..." She tilted her head, wondering what the young Gryffindor had in mind. It just didn't make sense to her at all.

" Xana, I was just throwing out ideas" Jason told her. " your ideas make more sense" Jason told her.

"Not necessarily... I would hope that every idea counts, as long as we're all working together and trying to help. I was just curious about your plan and why you thought we should try a topical potion." She smiled at the young boy warmly. "I think it's fabulous that you're making suggestions to try to help our classmates."

" I just can't figure out how to get it to students unless maybe we send our owls with the bezoars but then how would they give it to the animals" Jason said knowing his idea did not make sense.

Xana spoke softly to the Gryffindor boy. "I think we're getting ahead of ourselves here... before we worry about a method of delivery, we have to have something to deliver. But we don't even know if there are pearls in the clams, or if that's the component that we're seeking for a potion. The Professors will surely know... But for all we know the clams could be holding something else entirely, or it could be some component of the bivalve itself that is a needed ingredient... fluids, or mollusk tissue or the shell itself... " She looked over to Trelawney. "Prefect Trelawney, was there anything inside the clamshell besides... well, a clam?" she asked, curious.

" Good idea, Xena" Jason told her. " I would love you and I to work together if that is possible" Jason told her.

Cassandra looked at Xana and then down in her hands. She hadn't even noticed what was inside... the clam, still all covered in the black ooze that now coated her hands, seemed to glow in the dim light of the fire.

It looked like someone with nasal congestion sneezed in the shell. It was filled with slimey mucus-like... snot. It was disgusting and it smelled something aweful. She could feel her stomach turn at the mere thought of looking through it.

Cassandra wasn't about to let Xana take over and handle the mess to find her bezoar-pearl... so with her finger she felt through the gross substance. She felt something hard at the bottom... something smooth and hard. She dug in and withdrew and found some sort of pebble... "A tiny black pebbley thing... nothing that resembles a pearl..."

Yet still, Cassandra couldn't take her eyes off it. "Professor Branxton?" She asked, still mesmerized by it. Her fingers were now covered in a mixture of the snotty mucus and the black ooze, "I... is this... what is this?" she asked her former head of house.

Jason saw the black slimy object in Cassandra's hands. "What can we do with this?" Jason also asked the professor.

Rapunzel wrinkled her nose up as she watched the Slytherin open her clam. Punz would have been happy to see if she had a pearl within....but on second thought, never mind. The clams just looked like they contained mushy seaweed or something.

And a pebble. Was that a pebble, in the girl's hand? How could that possibly help? Rapunzel sighed to herself and continued to watch the Trelawney girl's reaction. Maybe the mushy stuff inside the clam had healing properties....maybe...

Jason wondered if the owl idea was good.

Kayla chuckled as she watched the other girls wrinkle their noses when Cassandra opened up the clam. "You do realise that people eat that...some consider it a delicacy. I prefer it cooked myself but you can eat it raw" she giggled to herself when she imagined what they thought of that.

"You EAT that?" Rapunzel stared at the younger Hufflepuff, her green eyes wide and surprised. She barely refrained from adding 'eeew' to the end of her sentence. "Do you eat the little pebble thingy too?" she asked curiously, wondering what the mysterious object was.

Cassandra looked at Amelia and then to the other students... If she'd gotten it, everyone else would want to look at it, and if it got damaged Branxton would have her hide... and neither Erikson nor Forrester would be able to prevent it... plus it was Amelia...

"Actually, Prefect Rose, I do mind," she sneared. "You can see it from here..." she said extending her arm towards her. The odor wafted towards the Hufflepuff prefect. She would have compared the foul stench to the yell of a mountain troll with horrible halitosis, with a week-old dead fish between it's teeth, that had come back to life just long enough to fart.

She glared at the other Hufflepuff who wanted to eat her clam... Carnivores... she thought, They'll eat anything! After all, Cassandra was a vegeterian.

"Why yes" Kayla replied innocently. "Some say they act as an aphrodisiac...but that's not why I eat them" she added quickly. "I just like that taste of them and no you don't eat the little pebbly thing."

Kayla looked at Cassandra and grinned. "Not partial to clams then are you, Trel?"

"Oh, okay...." Rapunzel nodded like she knew what an aphrodiah-whatever was. "Do you know what the little pebble is, then?" she added with a raised eyebrow in the the Prefect's direction. Trelawney looked like she was practically gagging on the clam's stench. Wimp, Punz thought with a smirk.

... Trel?! TREL?!?! Who was this kid to call her Trel! What was she? A first? Maybe second year?? Obviously she learned it from her prefect... Just like a Hufflepuff to not show respect. "No, and It's Prefect Trelawney." She then glared at Amelia, after all, the 12 year old didn't know any better, and waited for Professor Branxton.

"Well clams contain Pearl's but this stone is black...unless it's a black pearl then I really couldn't say, I'm no expert on Clams like I said I just like to eat them" Kayla laughed.


Kayla turned back to Cassandra and smiled slyly. "Ooh...sorry my mistake Prefect Trelawney" she drawled. "I'll make sure not to make that mistake again" Kayla ducked her head so that she wouldn't see her laughing but somehow the shaking of her shoulders would probably give her away.

ooc: Have to pop out for a bit. Pls don't hesitate to give her what for Cassandra lol.

A black pearl....I've never heard of that before, Rapunzel thought. The corners of her mouth couldn't help but twitch when the girl started laughing at the Slytherin Prefect. Punz didn't really like very many Slytherins...and especially not after their last Quidditch match, so she was perfectly content to see this girl up to her elbows in clam sludge. But what was odd was that none of the adults seemed to know what to do with the clams either.....

Amelia sighed, as she withdrew her hand and shoved it back in her pocket. Surely this was to be expected; Cassandra would rather die than give her anything. "Of course, Prefect Trelawney," she sneared back. Taking a closer look, it really didn't seem like anything special. But there had to be some kind of properties in either the pebble or the black mush. The pebble smelled disgusting though; either that or it was the Slytherin Prefect but it really made no difference.

She smirked at the comment by the younger Hufflepuff and then looked back at the Slytherin. The face she was making, she could tell she was horrified by the thought of eating clams. Which pleased Amelia greatly.